Tola, he was a judge

 I once brought up that there was a judge named Tola. That's all we know about Tola.

He was faithful.

He was a judge, no less, no more than Samuel, Samson, or Gideon. He was a judge.

Jdg 10:1 And after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim.

Jdg 10:2 And he judged Israel twenty and three years, and died, and was buried in Shamir.

This is all we know of Tola, we know his tribe, the names of his grandfather and his father, and where he lived. Almost seems like a waste to get his name in the book doesn't it?

The judge before him we know plenty about, the judge after him we know some about, yet this man we know he existed, and he served as a judge for 23 years, that's it.

Yet I want you to know that we know about Tola for he served Israel, He served God. It does not matter what he did, God made sure his service as a judge was known.

He was faithful.

Quite frankly this should strengthen many of us who work in obscurity, many who faithfully serve over God's work for years and years, we may not know about them, people may not know about us, but God does.

The widow with 2 mites, The woman who washed Jesus' feet and anointed Him we do not know their names yet we are told of their faith, their love. God knows.

If ever there is a thought to lift you up, it is that there was a judge named Tola. That is all we know yet here we are thousands of years later talking of him, and of the widow, and the blind man that had the faith to see, the centurion whose faith was greater than those in Israel.

Just as we should rejoice in our names being wrote in heaven, so to should you stand tall and witness to all that:

God knows you.

You say "well that's a fairly big leap there buddy". No it is not a leap of faith, but an extrapolation of fact. You need Scripture to back that up? ok just for you here you go.

Act 10:34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:

Peter states God is no respecter of persons, and if God does not treat people differently, then He can do no more for Tola's faithfulness than He will for yours.

Do you see what I am saying? God sees you, knows you and He will reward your faithfulness, just as He did for all those of faith in the New Testament, the Old Testament, Spurgeon, Moody, Sunday, and Graham.

God is a good God, Just, Pure, and Holy.

He is Tola's God and He is My God.